Flexible template



Jan. 16, 1940; E. R. LEARY FLEXIBLE TEMPLATE Filed Dec. 31, 1957Patented Jan. i8, 1940 7 A Q I 'usrrso STATES mew-4.0mm

Application 2.2:: 180.182,!"

This invention is a novel flexible template or stamped, embossed,perforated, or otherwise guide particularly adapted for use in the con-I displayed on one or both faces, indicia A corre- 'struction ofbuildings and the like to indicate spon'ding with the desired spacing ofelements, or guide the placing of the principal component such as thestuddings or beams for buildings,

parts which go to make up the completed frame spacing of, railroad ties,or the like. Preferably 5 structure, such parts comprising studding,beams. the tape is-gummed so that it may be adhesively and partsformingthe rough openings fordoors secured to a base object.- and the materialof and windows, etc.; and the principal object of the tape isjsuch thatit will remain in place at the invention is to provide a flexibletemplate least a sufficient length of time to permit the 1. in the formof a tape having indicia thereon departs to beiassembled. although samemay even- 10 noting predetermined spacings or locations of tuallybecomeincorporated in the entire buildsuchparts, said-tape being ofinexpensive mateing structure.

' rial intended to be retained in the structure As shown in Fig. 2., thebuilding comprises a when completed. I sill C upon the top surfaceofwhich adjacent ll A further object of this invention is to provide theouter edge-is secured, either by the adhesive ii a flexible template inthe form of a roll of gumor by suitable extraneous fastenings, a gummedor plain tape having indicia thereon, length of tape A hearing theindicia A, wherewhich tape may be manufactured at small cost. by theindicia will indicate directly to an unand lengths of the roll utilizedin the construcskilled workman th p per location or spacing go tion ofbuildings or the like, thereby eliminating of the studdings D which areto be erected upon m the usual expense of manually laying off the sill Cdirectly over the tape A covering the inspacings for studdings, beams,rafters, and the dicia A thereof, the indicia also serving as a like,now necessary in the construction of buildmeans for squaring or settingthe studding at ings, same being customarily performed by the properangle with respect to the sill. Usualskilledworkmen, my template beingadapted for ly in building construction, the studding is spaced g5 useby ordinary workmen by simply laying a on sixteen inch centers, and theindicia would length of the tape on a sill or the like to therebycorrespond with this spacing; but the indicia directly obtain withouterror the spacings for may be such as will suit any desired design. thestuds, framing for rough openings forwin- The tape A would in practiceextend around a dows and doors, etc., which may be erected dithe entiresill not only to locate the studding, rectly over the tape. etc., butalso to locate the door and window I will explain the invention withreference to openings. For the spacing of the door and wintheaccompanying drawing which illustrates sevdow openings, we preferablyutilize a suppleeral practical embodiments thereof to enable mentaltemplate of-the form shown in Fig. 3, v

others familiar with the art to adopt and use the same consisting of twoidentical tape memthe same; and will summarize in the claims the bers E,E, of similar material as the tape A,

essential features of the invention for which which members E, E. inpractice are superimprotection is desired. posed in reverse relation(although for the pur- In said drawing: pose of illustration in Fig. 8same are shown Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a roll of the as somewhatdisplaced laterally) each of the o tape forming the main portion of thetemplate. members E, E, having indicia E at one end to in- F1g,2 is aperspective view of a part of a frame dicate the exact locations of thewindow studs structure showing the use of my novel flexible F (Fig. 2).Each of the members E, E, have se template for positioning or spacingthe studding, ries of indicia or markings E, E", adjacent their a andthe frame members for a window opening. other ends bearing numbersdenoting openings 5 Fig. 3 is a plan view of a supplementary temofvarious widths, whereby when the two memplate used for gauging thespacings of the members E, E, are superimposed with the same inberforming the rough opening of a window. dicia coinciding. the templatewill denote an Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the use of my opening ofcorresponding width. Thus in Fig. novel template for spacing railroadties. 3 indicia number ll of both members E, E, ar a As shown in Fig. 1,the flexible template conshown as coinciding, thus producing a templatesists of gummed or plain tape A, of inexpensive for the proper spacingof studs F, F, for a winmaterial such as paper. gauze, or the like,which dow having an 18" glass. If the indicia numtape is preferably madeup in the form of. a roll bored 32 were coinciding. the template would gB of convenient size, the tape having printed, be correct for a windowhavinga 82" glass. Any .5.

desired scale of indicia I? may be used. Incidentally, the line ofcoincidence of the same indicia E (such as it, Fig. 3) in the templatemembers E, E, is the center of the template, and this line may be usedby the builder to center the template in relation to the plan of thestructure.

The template E, E, indicating the width of the opening for the windowsor doors is preferably made narrower than the main tape A, so that whenthe gauge E, E, is placed upon the tape A, as shown in Fig. 2, theunderlying markings on tape A will not be entirely hidden from view.Moreover, the builder, when seeing the template E superimposed upon tapeA, will readily know that an opening is to be planned, thus acting as acheck against possible error at that point. For the spacing of framemembers for door openings templates similar to that shown in Fig. 3 maybe used, same bearing proper indicia E of the same character shown inFig. 3.

Fig. 4 shows an application oi! tape A to laying railroad ties, in whichlengths of tapes A are secured to the rails R, the indicia A on thetapes denoting the proper spacing for the ties T which may be readilypositioned beneath the rails at their proper spacings, without resortingto other measuring or geometrical apparatus.

My invention thus provides a simple, emcient and very inexpensive meansfor readily laying out the spacings of members for any constructionwork, eliminating costly and careless mistakes often encountered inframing, and the templates, being inexpensive to manuiacture, need onlybe used once. The particular indicia on the templates may be of anydesired spacing nature.

While I have illustrated several applications of the template, obviouslythe same may be extensively used in other types of structural orfabrication work, such as in roof structures, bridge structures,concrete form work, and many other analogous uses.

I claim:

1. A flexible template. comprising a length of tape adapted to bepermanently secured to an object, and having a series of spaced indiciathereon; and a supplemental template secured upon the said first tapeintermediate its ends, and comprising a pair of relatively short tapemembers having spaced series of indicia thereon, said members beingsuperimposed in reverse relationship with one corresponding indicia oneach member coinciding.

2. In a template as set forth in claim 1, said supplemental templatebeing of narrower width than the first tape.

3. In a template as set forth in claim 1, said members each having anindicia at one end, and the spaced series of indicia being disposedadjacent the other end.

4. A flexible template, comprising a pair of continuously gummed tapemembers having spaced series of indicia thereon, said members beingsuperimposed in reverse relationship with one corresponding indicia oneach member coinciding.

5. In a template as set forth in claim 4, said members each having anindicia at one end, and the spaced series 01 indicia being disposed adJacent the other end.

EARL R. LEARY.

